Guwahati, Apr 1: A mob today beat up two policemen, including a sub-inspector, for allegedly responding late to a call by residents over a body found in the Jyotinagar area of the city.
Residents of the area complained that the body of Charu Charan Das, an employee of the Maligaon branch of the Assam State Electricity Board, was detected in a drain early in the morning and they had accordingly informed Chandmari police station. However, the police team turned up at the site after almost three hours.
“Some residents noticed the body lying in a pool of blood in a drain after offering namaz at the Jyotinagar mosque around 5.45am. We immediately called the police control room by dialling 100. The police control room, however, did not respond,” Farooq Ali, an eyewitness and a resident of the area, said.
“Then we informed Chandmari police station around 6am. But the first police party reached the spot around 8.45am. The police personnel were, however, not prompt in their action. Suddenly there was rain, which eventually swept away the body. Several residents who were waiting near the body then became very angry and created a scene,” Ali said.
Pitambar Choudhury, another resident alleged that despite repeated public requests to lift the body and send it for post mortem, the police handled the case casually. He said the police should have handled the case sensitively.
Additional superintendent of police (city) Debojit Deuri said it was an unfortunate that the sub-inspector of Chandmari police station, S.C. Suklabaidya and constable Uday Deka were assaulted by the mob while discharging their duties.
He refuted the allegation that the police were not prompt in their action and said the legal process before taking away a body takes time.
“First the police need to take a photograph of the body for records. The SI of Chandmari police station was looking for a photographer. There were some spots of blood at the recovery site and the police were trying to encircle the spots for investigation. The police party even took a sweeper to recover the body. Suddenly there was rainfall for which police cannot be blamed. The residents should have co-operated with the police,” Deuri said.
He said a case has been registered.
According to the dead man’s neighbours, Deka left home around 9am on Monday and did not return throughout the night.
“He was a gentleman and lived happily with his wife Kanaklata Das and two sons,” Basanta Rai, a neighbour, said.
“It is suspected Das was murdered by some goons late Monday night at Jyotinagar. There were spots of blood at the site where the body was recovered,” a resident said.
